Wormies Updates #3

This week we will be reading Cold Moon by Jeffrey Deaver.

I was first introduced to the works of Jeffrey Deaver by my father. He bought me a copy of The Empty Chair several years ago. From then on, I'm hooked by the works of Jeffrey Deaver, especially novels about Lincoln Rhyme. He was first introduced in the Bone Collector. I'm always a sucker for suspense; thus, a good dose of suspense and mystery would certainly perk me up.

So now I'm sharing Cold Moon to my fellow Bookworms. Hopefully they'll enjoy this as much as I'll do.

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Remember Me by Sophie Kinsella

Well, this is long overdue, but I believe in being late rather than never doing anything about it. Although my friends have not yet tackled the assigned book, I would like to go on ahead and post my review. Hopefully, they will still read the book when they have the time.

If you haven't read the book yet, I advice you to skip reading so as not to spoil your fun.

Plot Summary (taken from website):

When twenty-eight-year-old Lexi Smart wakes up in a London hospital, she’s in for a big surprise. Her teeth are perfect. Her body is toned. Her handbag is Vuitton. Having survived a car accident — in a Mercedes no less — Lexi has lost a big chunk of her memory, three years to be exact, and she’s about to find out just how much things have changed, Somehow Lexi went from a twenty-five-year-old working girl to a corporate big shot with a sleek new loft, a personal assistant, a carb-free diet, and a set of glamorous new friends. And who is this gorgeous husband—who also happens to be a multimillionaire? With her mind still stuck three years in reverse, Lexi greets this brave new world determined to be the person she…well, seems to be. That is, until an adorably disheveled architect drops the biggest bombshell of all. Suddenly Lexi is scrambling to catch her balance. Her new life, it turns out, comes complete with secrets, schemes, and intrigue. How on earth did all this happen? Will she ever remember? And what will happen when she does?


My view(s):

I don't know about the rest of the girls, but I loved this book. The others who I have shared this good find also found it a really good read. In fact, I finished it in a couple of hours after assigning the book. And even today, I feel so giddy when I think about what transpired in the book.

Lexi, in all intents and purposes is funny. Although she comes face to face with a whole lot of embarrassing situations, she never fails to find a somewhat smoother way out of her predicament. I could not blame her. If I were in her shoes, not knowing what went on for the past three years, and more or less being thrust in a world that just does not look like the one you had, well, I think I would enroll myself in a psychiatric facility of sorts.

Eric, her husband, is... robotic. LOL. It does not hurt to think that he is rich and utterly handsome, but to give you a handbook on how to go about your marriage - and include a chapter on sex(!) - is scary. Lexi and Eric's relationship becomes somewhat strained since obviously they should be the ultimate power couple - but maybe not. On, and the Mont Blanc! ROFL. Seriously, you have to read about this one.

And the architect? He's adorable. But of course, he knows something about Lexi that Lexi does not remember. Wouldn't you panic if some guy you have no idea who knows something that could perhaps destroy you but you have no idea what? I know I would.

And then there are those heartbreaking moments... Despite the good laughs and good time I had as I read the book, I have to admit that my heart got broken. I think that was the first time I could seriously visualize and feel my heart break in two halves. Odd, yes, but it could just be my reaction.

Now, I've read a lot of Sophie Kinsella books. I actually started with Confessions of a Shopaholic, and I liked it. But for me, this book tops the Sophie Kinsella cake. :D

Even now, I really do feel giddy about the whole story. LOL.

I give it five stars. How about you?

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Eldest by Christopher Paolini

Darkness falls…despair abounds…evil reigns…

Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, have just saved the rebel state from destruction by the mighty forces of King Galbatorix, cruel ruler of the Empire. Now Eragon must travel to Ellesméra, land of the elves, for further training in the skills of the Dragon Rider: magic and swordsmanship. Soon he is on the journey of a lifetime, his eyes open to awe-inspiring new places and people, his days filled with fresh adventure. But chaos and betrayal plague him at every turn, and nothing is what it seems. Before long, Eragon doesn’t know whom he can trust.

Meanwhile, his cousin Roran must fight a new battle–one that might put Eragon in even graver danger.

Will the king’s dark hand strangle all resistance? Eragon may not escape with even his life. . . .

*summary taken from the official site of the Inheritance Cycle


My views:

I just finished reading Eldest – book 2 of the Inheritance Cycle and I enjoyed it as much as book 1 - Eragon. I won’t make this review a spoiler, so I would leave it to you to find out what happens next. It’s great that Paolini started the book with a prologue summarizing the important events of the previous book. Christopher Paolini shaped the events in the second book in a way that would make you want (need?) to read the next book.

Eldest follows the adventures of Eragon and Saphira as they train with the elves at Ellesmera where Eragon is to heal, learn magic, and train to become a real Rider. Eragon is much stronger and wiser this time, and he is not as arrogant as he was on Eragon. But the cockiness is still there though, it makes you love and hate him at the same time. I love how Paolini showed the readers the gradual transformation of both Eragon and Saphira during their training. The bond between them can be so touching at times.

Eragon’s growing interest in Arya is also pointed out. However, as I expected, no romance has flourished, yet. I think it would be more cliché if Paolini delved into this further.

There are several details unveiled for some characters – Arya’s true identity and her life story, the history of dragons and how the Riders came to be, Eragon's true parentage, and some very pleasant and unpleasant(?) surprises that would make the stories more interesting.

I can sense a bit of influence from Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings on Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance Cycle. Avid fans of Tolkien might scrutinize the Inheritance Cycle as an imitation of Lord of the Rings while some might just get into the groove for this one (as I have). The only addition here is the detailed subject of dragons. So this is more like a Dragonheart and Lord of the Rings rolled into one.

Eldest is longer, suspenseful, and has a touch of romance here and there. I think Eldest could have been several pages shorter, if Paolini cut back some of the lengthy description of events that are of no importance to the story at all. But all in all, it’s still a good read. I’m giving this one 4 stars.

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Wormies Updates #2

This week we will be reading Remember Me by Sophie Kinsella.

I chose this book for the week since after Eragon, I thought it would be nice to dive into something lighter and quick to finish.

With Confessions of a Shopaholic (The Movie) coming up, I was inspired to check out what newer books Sophie Kinsella has written. And then there it was, sitting amongst numerous chick-lit books was "Remember Me." Somehow the plot has captured my attention, and I would like to read it together with my girl friends/fellow bookworms.

I know this is not each of the other wormie's cup of tea, but I have a hunch that they will like this, nevertheless.

Enjoy reading, wormies!

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Eragon By Christopher Paolini

Here is a review on Eragon as assigned to us by our Head Bookworm, Ezrah. The reading was assigned last September 6.

If you haven't read the book yet, I advice you to skip reading so as not to spoil your fun.

Plot

(Taken from book jacket)
When Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm boy; perhaps it will buy his family meat for the winter. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself. Overnight his simple life is shattered, and he is thrust into a perilous new world of destiny, magic, and power. With only an ancient sword and the advice of an old storyteller for guidance, Eragon and the fledgling dragon must navigate the dangerous terrain and dark enemies of an Empire ruled by a king whose evil knows no bounds. Can Eragon take up the mantle of the legendary Dragon Riders? The fate of the Empire may rest in his hands. . . .

My View(s)

First off, I would like to say that I admire Paolini as he surely conquered what most of us dream at his age. I know I certainly wish I could create a masterpiece as this.

As for the book itself, I loved Eragon. Compared to the movie, well, the movie was not exactly the same - having seen the movie first hand, I could not help but relate both.

I like the plot as it evolves itself in a way that the reader keeps on asking what is going to happen next, or with a series of "who's he?" "what's that?" and other questions. Of course, one would have to read more in order to learn the answers.

The flow of the story is filled with vivid details, names, places, and languages which would take a bit of memorization but the maps and bibliographies help a lot. And while there are other story lines that branch out here and there, Paolini manages to create a bigger vein as the main storyline, but I just could not help but wonder about the other people in the story.

As for Eragon (character), I could not help but sometimes feel like I could choke him. Too cocky and hardheaded for my taste, but I guess that is where his appeal lies. I do think it is his cover for his insecurities and other feelings that he would rather not share.

For Saphira, well, I could not help but be mystified. I have this like for huge creatures such as dinosaurs and the like, so yeah, I liked Saphira a lot! I would like to have one dearly. Anyway, like her shiny blue coat, I think she's cool.

The person I like the most is Brom. To me, he's like a jester with sad eyes and good memory. I think he died too early, but then again, what more could he have added to the story? Perhaps if he stayed longer I would have paid more attention to him than to Eragon.

Overall, I think that Eragon was a very, very good book. It shows an impressive first book, promising much more from Paolini. However, I did feel like I was reading Tolkien. Although it was lacking the uniqueness, depth, and mastery that Tolkien has, I believe it was a good read for the generation which missed Tolkien. Nevertheless, I am pretty sure that even though Paolini is no Tolkien, many Tolkien readers will still enjoy Eragon a lot.

I give it four stars.

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